JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #77 - December 2012 - 25

indian experience

Natural-fibre composites in construction and rehabilitation
Composites bestowed with unique advantages like light weight and a high strength-to-weight ratio, drew attention towards novel applications and as substitutes for conventional materials such as metal, wood, etc. Composites are emerging as the leading building materials to replace timber, steel, aluminium or concrete.

Sangeeta Baksi, Principal Scientific Officer Soumitra Biswas, Adviser TIFAC

omposites are being used for the manufacture of prefabricated, portable and modular buildings as well as for exterior cladding panels, which can simulate masonry or stone. In interior applications, composites are used in the manufacture of shower enclosures and trays, baths, sinks, troughs and spas. Indian efforts centre around developing cost-effective building materials that can also cater to the housing needs of urban and rural poor. In this context, certain developments concerning natural-fibre composites and industrial waste-based composites have assumed importance. The key restricting factors in the application of composites are their initial costs due to raw materials and inefficient conventional moulding processes. Industry and design experts believe that, with the adoption of advanced technologies and some extent of standardization, these problems could be easily taken care of. Natural-fibre composites have gained interest in the last decade, especially in the housing sector. Fibres like jute, coir, flax or hemp are inexpensive, have better stiffness per unit weight and have a lower

impact on the environment. Due to their adequate tensile strength and good specific modulus, natural fibres enjoy a significant potential for usage in composites, thus ensuring a value-added application avenue. In addition to the much lower cost and renewable nature of natural fibres, the much lower energy requirement for the production of natural fibres like jute (only 2% of that for glass) makes them attractive as reinforcing fibres in composites. With an excellent knowledge base in various resins, catalysts and curing systems coupled with an adequate availability of various raw materials, India can certainly carve out a niche in the emerging technology of natural-fibre composites. The following section deals with the development activities carried out in various academic institutions and R&D laboratories in India in partnership with industries.

materials for building & construction, railways, automotive, bio-medical, and other such applications. The programme has been quite instrumental in bridging the knowledge gaps and bringing together industry and users for technology development, transfer and subsequent commercialization. Apart from enhancing design capabilities in composite technology and human resource development, the programme has diversified in key economic and industrial sectors such as railways, automotive, bio-medical, rehabilitation, industrial products, chemical processes, building & construction, marine, telecom, etc. A few projects based on natural-fibre composites are highlighted in the following sections.

Jute-coir composite boards as wood substitutes
This project, launched in collaboration with the Natura Division of M/s Duroflex Limited, Bangalore, aimed at developing jute-coir composite boards with oriented face jute veneer and coconut fibre (coir) felt, with or without waste rubber wood plies inside. A very thin layer of jute fibres impregnated with phenolic resin is used as the face veneer for improved aesthetics and to give a wood-like finish. Two major categories of composite boards offering superior

Advanced composites programme
The Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (TIFAC), an autonomous organization under the Govt. of India’s Department of Science & Technology (DST), launched the Advanced Composites Programme in pursuit of developing high-performance

No77 December 2012 /

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #77 - December 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #77 - December 2012